


Battle of the Jukebox

by Colorkiller



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Love Island: The Game Season 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-11-28 02:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20959115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colorkiller/pseuds/Colorkiller
Summary: Alexa pored over her phone, trying to find yet another perfect song to mess with Mr. 80’s love songs serenading his boyfriend over there.  At least, that’s what it was starting to look like from her vantage point. This must have been the sixth time Hold The Line had played, and even if it was Toto’s best song, enough was enough.But what could she play?She punched in Tom Jones’ ‘What’s New Pussycat’ and followed it up with ‘It’s Not Unusual.’  If she ended up spending her entire paycheck on jukebox plays, it’d be worth it.)))this is an AU fic thanks!(((





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i know nothing, i own nothing, i just make this up as i go. anyway, i hope you enjoy it, i hope it makes you smile, because it was kind of super fun to write. i'll think about continuing it, but it's basically just a standalone fluff fic. i don't know what i'm doing anymore, but if i could gift this to the instagram group chat, i would. y'all inspire me.

Four girls stumbled into a bar on a cold night. The wind blew the door shut behind them. Alexa loosened her scarf just a touch. She looked around the bar, noting a lot of punk jackets and vests. 

“Where  _ are  _ we?” She asked Lottie. 

“Only the best bar this side of town.” Lottie replied. “Or, well, one of them. It seemed up your alley, anyway.” The Australian bombshell had a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

“Wow! Look at all these beautiful men!” Chelsea squealed. Alexa rolled her eyes. Ever since she’d let it slip that punk rock boys were her usual type, Lottie wouldn’t let it go. 

She pointed out some guys at the bar, and Alexa just rolled her eyes and opened her phone, searching for something. She found the app with ease and grinned, before realizing what was already playing over the speakers. Toto’s Hold the Line blared through the bar, and she wondered vaguely how she hadn’t realized it as soon as they walked in. 

After some clicking, she finally found a song. “Man, I Feel Like A Woman,” by Shania Twain would play just after Hold the Line. As they bellied up to the bar, Alexa surveyed the crowd. It seemed pretty typical, aside from the obvious punk vibe. She laughed inwardly at how much she was about to shake things up. Well, Toto wasn’t exactly punk rock, either, but she wasn’t sure yet if that was just a one off. 

“Hey, Alexa!” Hannah called across the bar. “What’re you drinking?” 

“Whiskey coke!” Hannah grabbed the drink and brought it to Alexa.

“You’re really going to be obnoxious tonight, aren’t you?” Hannah teased, but there was a twinkle in her eyes. 

“Oh, you’d better believe it.” Alexa winked back at her. Her song was playing, and the bar was already in an uproar about it. She noticed two men at the bar in particular, one taller than the other with dark, swept back hair, and the other had a freckled face and wore his hair in dreads. The freckled man appeared to be frowning at his friend, gesturing to the jukebox. 

She imagined he was trash talking her choice in music, and that warmed her heart. He was  _ cute _ , she thought, but let her gaze continue wandering the bar. Chelsea snapped her out of it by literally snapping in front of her face. 

“You were zoning out so hard, hun!” Chelsea told her, and Alexa laughed sheepishly. 

“Sorry, I was just thinking about what song I should torture this bar with next.” 

“Oh my god!” It was basically one word coming from her mouth. “Play Barbie Girl for me!” She beamed, and Alexa punched in the song. 

“Anything for you, bestie.” Alexa threw an arm around Chelsea lazily, and they snapped a selfie together. Then, she realized that ‘Hold The Line’ was playing  _ again.  _ “Who keeps playing Toto, I wonder?” She mused, before her gaze fell on the two men from before. The freckled one was belting out the song to his mate, who sat staring into his drink. Alexa couldn’t figure out if he was pretending not to know his friend, or if he was upset about something. 

Finally, Barbie Girl blasted over the speakers, and a bunch of guys at the bar groaned. Alexa snorted into her drink, and Chelsea hopped up, dancing enthusiastically. With the attention off of her, MC punched in a few more songs. Mostly just random country songs. It was her favorite pastime whenever she got dragged to bars. 

Before her songs could play, Keep On Loving You by REO Speedwagon started playing, and yet again she watched one grown man serenade another. Several more love songs from that era played before hers, but once hers did, she was satisfied with the groans and protests surrounding her. 

Alexa pored over her phone, trying to find yet another perfect song to mess with Mr. 80’s love songs serenading his boyfriend over there. At least, that’s what it was starting to look like from her vantage point. This must have been the sixth time Hold The Line had played, and even if it  _ was  _ Toto’s best song, enough was enough. 

But what could she play? 

She punched in Tom Jones’ ‘What’s New Pussycat’ and followed it up with ‘It’s Not Unusual.’ If she ended up spending her entire paycheck on jukebox plays, it’d be worth it. 

“Hey, Alexa! Priya just texted me. She’s at that nightclub down the block.” Lottie’s voice broke into Alexa’s concentration. 

“Yeah, cool,” she said, and Lottie realized quickly the curly haired blonde hadn’t caught a word. Her focus was very clearly divided between her phone and the freckled boy down the bar. 

“Are you even listening to me?” 

“Huh?” Alexa snapped out of it briefly. “You’re going to the club down the block.” 

“No,  _ we’re  _ going.” 

Alexa shoots a look at the boy down the bar. Lottie knows that look all too well, but it’s been so long since she last saw it. “I uh, have some unfinished business to attend to.” 

“Oh, babes, I can see that.” Lottie shoots her a cheeky wink, and Alexa rolls her eyes. 

“Not like  _ that _ !” She protests. Just then, Hannah and Chelsea appear. 

“C’mon, Alexa will find us when she’s done here. Or maybe she won’t.” Lottie tells them, grinning. 

“Don’t you think one of us should--” Chelsea is cut off by Lottie grabbing her by the elbow and dragging her off. 

“Didn’t you see her face? She’s doing just fine on her own.” Lottie grins wider, and they leave Alexa to her phone. 

She settles into a seat just within earshot of the two men she’s been watching, and realizes they’re actually with a third man, who sits in a corner booth with a curly haired Irish lass. 

“Best if we don’t interfere in that.” The taller man told his dreadlocked friend. 

“Yeah, sounds like drama. Not our problem he can’t decide between Jo and Shannon. He’ll have forgotten all about it by Monday, anyway, Noah.” 

Now she had one of their names, but Noah wasn’t exactly who was getting her goat at this moment. 

“You’re right, Bobby.” Noah told him. And there she had it. Bobby was the devil in disguise who was inspiring her to order a double shot of whiskey. 

“Who keeps playing these damn songs?” Bobby muttered. “I’ve been trying to figure it out all night!” 

Alexa smirked to herself. So she’d been doing a great job of blending in. She downed her shot and typed something in her phone. 

“I Will Always Love You,” by Dolly Parton played shortly over the speakers. Bobby and Noah turned to each other in disgust. 

“Who  _ did  _ this?” Bobby wrinkled his nose. “It’s got to be the same person.” 

Alexa stifled a giggle behind her hand and turned back to the bar, ordering another whiskey coke. She was getting good and drunk, far drunker than she’d intended when she’d agreed to come out, but she couldn’t deny that she was having fun. 

“Can you consider this a hate crime?” Bobby’s voice broke her out of her thoughts, and she snickered under her hand. “At least she thinks I’m funny, Noah!” Bobby indicates Alexa, who hides behind her hands. 

“Maybe she’s the one playing these songs.” Noah offered.  _ Shit,  _ Alexa thought,  _ I’ve been compromised. _

“Her? No way. She looks like more of a Bruno Mars type.” 

_ Oof. _ Alexa rolled her eyes and turned back to her drink. At least she lived to play another hour of out of place songs. 

“Hold the line! Love isn’t always on time!” Bobby belted out for what had to be the thousandth time that night. Alexa had to dig deep within to keep herself from outwardly face palming. Instead, she discreetly typed into her phone. 

“Friends In Low Places Garth Brooks.” 

At this point, she’s well on her way to becoming a jukebox VIP. As the song starts playing, she watches as Bobby looks around. 

“Alright, who did this?” He turns to the table behind them, a group made up of a few couples. “It was one of you, wasn’t it?” He demands. Alexa hides her giggles behind her hand, and manages, miraculously, to be inconspicuous. Or maybe it’s more that Bobby is getting drunker by the minute and has no idea that the curly haired blonde sitting six chairs down from him has been the culprit all along. 

She realizes suddenly that Bobby has a Scottish accent that’s grown thicker as the night wears on. Glaswegian, perhaps, she thinks. At first, it was a toned down lilt, but as he goes in a circle asking who the hell keeps playing  _ country songs  _ at a  _ punk bar,  _ he becomes more and more incoherent. 

“Right Beside You, Sophie B. Hawkins,” Alexa types in, deciding to try and communicate with him. Maybe he’ll take the hint, but her guess is that he won’t. She watches carefully from the corner of her eye, and somehow, through the din and commotion of the bar, she can still hear their conversation as though they were right beside her. 

“Noah, do you think he’s trying to tell me something?” Bobby points at the screen, which shows the song. Noah chances a look in Alexa’s direction, and her eyes widen as she catches his gaze. She puts a finger to her lips, and he smiles slowly, conspiratorially. 

“What makes you so sure he’s a he?” Noah teases. Bobby’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head. 

“There’s no way. I don’t know any girls who would hold onto something like this for so long.” 

Noah, despite himself, snorts with laughter. 

“Oh, right. Forgot about Hope.” He shakes his head, laughing softly. “Mate, you’re far better off without her. Was it really worth fighting all the time?” 

“She got in a right fit about Priya, didn’t she?” Noah rolled his eyes. Alexa tried hard not to look over, but at the mention of Priya’s name, her heart had taken off running, leaving it pounding in her chest. Was it possible he was talking about  _ her  _ Priya? Glamorous Priya who was only in town every other month or so? There were plenty of people named Priya, she thought, but who knew? 

Alexa typed “Come Over’ into the jukebox app and played the first song that popped up, a Kenny Chesney song. Almost as soon as it came on, she heard Bobby exclaim “Oh my god! Why?!” 

He fired back with “Where Are You?” by J. Mascis. Alexa countered with “Hello, I’m Right Here” by Tegan and Sara. 

“Noah, who’s doing it?” Bobby finally demanded in a fit of frustration. Noah only shrugged. “I know you know who it is!” Bobby pouted, but played another song. “Tell Me, Tell Me...Baby” by N’Sync. 

Alexa’s phone vibrated in her hand and a message from Priya flashed on the screen. 

_ Where ARE YOU??????!!!!!!  _

**I’m having a jukebox battle, I can’t leave now.**

_ A what? Are you crazy? You’re joking!!! Big T is DJing tonight!!!!!! _

**This is more important!**

_ Ugh! You ARE crazy! LOL! Whatever, we’ll see you at yours for brunch tomorrow! _

Priya’s message was punctuated by a ton of eye roll emojis. “He better be the hottest guy we’ve ever seen!” 

“OMFG what did Lottie tell you?” Alexa typed, but all Priya replied with was a winking emoji. 

“Bobby, I gotta drag Rahim out of here. Thanks for taking me out to forget about the break up, but I really gotta go. You coming or?” Noah asked. 

“Not till I find out who this jukebox bandit is!” 

“Good luck, Bobby.” He told him, before going to drag Rahim away from a woman who looked rather angry. It almost looked like they might fist fight, but Noah seemed to have the right words to calm them both down. The next thing she knew, he was leaning over the barstool next to hers. 

“I know it’s you.” He told her quietly. She felt Bobby’s eyes on them, and she felt herself flushing. 

“Oh?” 

“Keep doing it. I haven’t seen him look so happy in ages. Like…” Noah glances over, and realizes Bobby is staring.

“Are you sure? He seems pretty angry about it.” 

“Trust me.” Noah turns and leaves, and as soon as he’s gone, she realizes that Bobby has taken the empty stool next to hers. 

“So.” He’s flushed from the alcohol, and she perks a brow at him, before typing in “you got it” and playing the Ray Orbison song. 

“So.” She locks her phone and sets it face up on the bar. He checks his phone and sees what the next song is. 

“It  _ is  _ you, isn’t it?” He demands. Alexa throws her hands up in defeat, huffing. 

“You found me.” She laughs, and he curls his lip at her. 

“Why are you torturing us with country songs?” 

“Why won’t you stop playing Toto over and over again?” She demands.

“Fair point. How about I buy you a drink to make up for it?”  _ Captain B. Smooth is back.  _ He thinks. 

“Oh? Well, that would be a start.” She taps her chin thoughtfully. 

“What are you drinking?”

“Whiskey coke.” Suddenly, she realizes that her stomach is filled with butterflies just from his proximity. He doesn’t notice her face reddening as he flags the bartender down. Once her drink is in her hands, he turns back to her. 

“I don’t even know your name, Jukebox Bandit.” He muses, and she laughs. 

“It’s Alexa.” 

“Like…” 

“Yeah, like Amazon Alexa. The Echo. That’s exactly what my parents named me after.” She rolled her eyes. 

“Really?” He let his mouth fall open. 

“You’re not really that gullible, are you?” She doesn’t realize that he’s typing into his phone because she’s also typing into hers. 

“No, I’m not.” While he was typing in “Hold The Line” for the nth time that night, she was typing in “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. 

They both see the songs in the queue and collapse into laughter. 

“And what’s your name?” She asks, acting as though she hadn’t picked up on it already. 

“Bobby, but you can just call me Captain B. Smooth.” 

“Uh. Okay,  _ Bobby. _ ” She gives him a huge grin, and he facepalms inwardly.  _ Real smooth.  _

“Or not, I guess.” He shrugs, and she playfully chucks him on the arm. 

“I’m just messing with you. You kind of deserve it.” 

He rolls his eyes before belting out Hold The Line to her. 

And even though she’s laughing harder than she’s laughed in a long while, she takes note that he has a strong (and good) singing voice. When she finally catches her breath, she takes him in. He has an expressive face, and there’s a dimple on one cheek. He’s absolutely gorgeous, she thinks. His eyes are golden, and she realizes she’s never seen such eyes. 

“Where do you come from?” She asks. 

“Glasgow.” He tells her. She pounds her fist on the bar. 

“I knew it!” She exclaims gleefully. 

“What?” 

“Oh, I was on to you from the beginning, Mr. Smooth.” Alexa grins. “So once my friends left, I came and listened to you and...Noah, was it?” She realizes that by admitting all this, she’s taking a giant risk, but it pays off when she realizes Bobby is laughing. 

“So you’ve been stalking me all night?” He teases. 

“No! More like...investigative...journalism.” 

“Is my face going to be in the paper tomorrow, then?” He asks, and she laughs, this time. 

“No! But when you were going around questioning everyone, your accent just got thick to the point of being incompri--incomp--incomprihen--hard to understand.” She leans against the bar, and she’s not sure if it’s the alcohol, but right now, she’s face to face with the most beautiful person she’s seen in her entire life. 

“Hey, can I--” She’s interrupted by a bartender yelling “LAST CALL!” and she throws her hands to her face. “Oh my god, is it that late already?” Her eyes widen, and Bobby looks just as shocked. 

“Wow, I’m going to regret all this tomorrow.”

“Ouch!” Alexa frowns, and he shakes his head. 

“Well, except for meeting you.” He grins. “Even if your music taste is highly questionable.” 

“Who says I like any of those songs?” She teases, before leaning in a little bit more. “I’ve never done this--but--there’s something--” she cuts herself off, rolling her eyes. “I’m so smooth. Your place or mine?” 

“Mine.” He’s blushing even harder than before, and she wonders if he’s ever invited someone back from the bar. 

The next thing she knows, he’s got his arms wrapped around her waist, and she’s kissing him in his kitchen. It’s a hot, angry kiss, as though she’s still feigning fury over their jukebox war. 

“Alexa, are you thirsty?” He asks, and before she can answer, they both hear ‘I don’t get hungry or thirsty, but thank you for asking.’ from the other room. Alexa collapses against the counter in helpless laughter, and Bobby looks completely bewildered. 

“Alexa, are you ok?” 

‘I’m feeling super productive, I’ve set a gazillion timers, and now I’m brushing up on my Klingon.’ There’s the voice from the other room again. Alexa laughs even harder, doubled over on her knees on the tile. 

“Oh my god, Bobby, you should have said my place.” She manages between wheezes of laughter. 

“We just have to change your name.” He tells her, and she bursts into laughter again. By this point, she’s sobbing, and Bobby looks concerned. “What?” 

“I’m not changing my name for someone I’ve just met.” She tells him, before turning to root in his refrigerator. Even though they’ve known each other for maybe a few hours, he already feels like she belongs here. It’s like she’s a missing piece that he didn’t know he was looking for. 

“What are you looking for in there?” He asks, and she pulls out a bottle of wine. 

“Vino!” She exclaims, and he laughs. 

“Are you trying to take advantage of me?” He jokes, and her eyes widen. “I’m kidding.” He looks around the kitchen awkwardly. “I’m not prepared for that in the slightest.” 

“No, I just felt like…” She frowns, swaying slightly. “I wanted one more drink, and I didn’t want to leave you yet. I know we just met, and this is weird but…” She takes a deep breath. “There’s a spark there, isn’t there?” 

_ So she did feel it _ , he thought.

“I think so.” And when he looks at her again, he feels like he’s on the verge of something big. He’d never felt this comfortable with a girl, period, let alone within the first day of meeting her. He needed to rein in his rampant emotions, his strong urge to beg her to move in with him right on the spot. 

“And I don’t even have your number in my phone.” She teased him, and he took her phone from her so he could type in his number. Before he gave it back, he opened up youtube to play Hold The Line yet again. 

As she took her phone, she nearly threw it right back at him. 

“Are you ever going to stop?” She demanded, laughing softly. He shook his head. 

“It’s not likely.” 

“Give me your phone.” 

“Only if you’re going to put  _ your  _ number in it.” He tells her, flushing a little. 

“Obviously.” And she does just that, but when she hands him back his phone, Loving You Is Fun by Easton Corbin is playing on it. 

“You know what, Alexa?” 

“What?” 

“I like you.” And maybe neither of them would admit to it, but they both feel happier and more relaxed than they have in ages. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've decided to turn this into a series. i don't know how much i'll keep writing on it, but buckle up and enjoy the ride and lemme know where i ought to go with it

Alexa slept peacefully on Bobby’s couch, and as he toyed with whether or not he should wake her, he remembered her saying something about hosting brunch. “Hey, Alexa? Alexa, wake up!” She stirred slightly and behind him, he heard a loud pinging.  _ Shit.  _

“What?” Alexa gasped and fell off the couch before looking around frantically. “I’m up, I’m up!” Her eyes fell on Bobby, and then travelled the rest of the room. “Whoa, what the hell?” She sat back against the couch, rubbing her head. 

“Alright, Alexa?” Bobby asked, a little softer so his echo wouldn’t pick it up this time. 

“You have got to get your echo to respond to something else, mate.” She grumbled. “I was having the best dream.

“Oh? So I shouldn’t have woken you, huh?” 

“So you  _ were  _ trying to wake me up. How cruel.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m so hungover--oh my god. I have to get home. Why did I sleep here?” She blinks up at him, and he looks a little sheepish. 

“You finished off that bottle of wine and fell asleep on my kitchen floor. You looked pretty uncomfortable, and a little cold, so I carried you to my couch.” 

“You? Carried me?” She stared at him incredulously. 

“I have muscles!” He protested. “Some…” 

“Uh huh. Well, the proof is that I woke up on your couch. So I believe you...this time.” She assessed him through narrowed eyes. “Take me home? Please? I have a brunch to host.” 

“Of course.” He yawns, before shuffling off to get dressed in proper clothes. Alexa combs her fingers through her tangled hair and sighs, before checking for her phone. It’s sitting on his coffee table, plugged into a charger. 

She unplugs it and sees that it’s at 100%.  _ Christ,  _ she thinks,  _ this guy is already sweeter than all of my exes. _ She opens it up to see just about thirty messages from her bff group chat. 

“Do you think Alexa died last night?” Lottie asked. Chelsea replied with “omg don’t say that!!!” 

Alexa didn’t bother reading through the rest of the messages. “I did NOT die, brunch is still on. 11am SHARP!” She typed and hit send. It was 8am. That gave her three hours. “Ugh.” She groaned, just as Bobby walked back in. 

“You sure you can handle brunch?” He asks as he perches on the couch beside her to put on his shoes. She has her head in her hands. 

“Ugh. I’ll have to.” She rolls her eyes at him. “We rotate who hosts brunch whenever Priya’s in town.” 

His eyebrows raised at the mention of Priya, but he says nothing about her. “So it’s your turn, and you can’t get out of it.” 

“Not even a little bit. Besides, I’ve got all the food.” 

“Do you maybe…” he’s blushing, and she notices his hand trembling just a little. “...want some help?” 

“Only if you promise not to muck it up.” 

“I work in a kitchen.” He puffs his chest up with pride, and she widens her eyes. 

“Then yes, I want your help. I’ve known you for like a day and already you’re becoming indispensable.” She narrows her eyes. “Unless you’re not telling me something and you’re really just a busboy.” 

“How dare you!?” He pouts, and she laughs softly, before wincing. “Oh, here.” He hands her a bottle of some sort of sports drinks and a bottle of water. “Might not cure you, but it’ll help.”

“Has anyone told you that you’re…” she fumbles for words, wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. “Really sweet?” 

“I thought you were going to call me an asshole with that face you were making!” He gets to his feet. “Come on, slowpoke. We’ve got a brunch to cook!” 

Alexa drags herself off the couch, before realizing that she is not in her dress from the night before but is instead wearing a t-shirt and joggers that must belong to Bobby. 

“Do you--” 

“Oh! Yeah, here.” He hands her the dress, and she perks a brow at him. “You didn’t black out, did you?” He looks concerned, and she bites her lip a little sheepishly. “You demanded to change before you got too drunk. So that’s why you’re in my clothes.” He told her. 

“Did I also demand to sleep on the couch?” She asked teasingly as she picked up her heels and followed him to his car. 

“Actually…” he blushed furiously. “You really wanted to crawl into bed with me, but I thought--well, I didn’t want you to be waking up in a position that could make you uncomfortable.” 

Alexa’s eyes widened, and she thought  _ Christ, who  _ ** _is_ ** _ this man?  _ Suddenly, she remembers kissing him in his kitchen, and she puts her hand on the crook of his elbow. “I seem to remember that we kissed.” 

His blush returned, and she knew his answer immediately. He confirms it, anyway. “Yeah, so I guess we did.” He doesn’t want to tell her that it was the best kiss he’s ever had and that he hasn’t stopped thinking about it, that he may or may not have been awake half the night thinking about it. He just wants to figure out how to get her lips to land on his once again. 

“You uh…” She’s blushing, now. “You’re a really good kisser.” She tells him. He’s shocked, and it’s clear from his expression that this is the first time anyone’s told him so. “What? Has no one ever told you?” 

“No one as stunning as you.” He replies, and she just collapses into laughter. Her laughter intensifies when he turns on his car and nearly instantly, Hold The Line begins playing. 

“You did this on purpose!” She exclaims, howling in laughter, leant against his dashboard. 

“It’s the radio!” He protests. 

“Oh, I bet you’ve got them on speed dial!” She snorts, and he just rolls his eyes. But he’s grinning.

\--

Once they’re in her kitchen, he stops to put on an apron. 

“Wait. You seriously brought your own apron?” She snorts, and when he turns around, she laughs even harder. His apron reads (melon) baller. “How fitting.” 

“I’m glad you think so.” He seems at ease in her kitchen as he goes to look for the utensils he’ll need. She chugs both of the bottles he gave her before gathering her ingredients. Eggs, meats, cheeses, breads. She sets to work on chopping veggies while he starts frying. Alexa can’t help but to watch him. He’s skilled, that much is apparent, and she wonders how it’s possible to be so comfortable with someone so soon. 

Her knife slips and she narrowly avoids cutting herself. She tuts and shakes her head, turning her focus back to the veggies. “Feel free to fix yourself something, too.” She tells him, before finishing her veggies and turning to make coffee. Once it’s brewing, she pulls a couple ice buckets from a cupboard and places them carefully on either end of her kitchen table. 

“How’s your hangover?” Bobby asks her, and she beams at him. 

“A lot better, thanks to you and those drinks.” She pulls out a bottle of champagne and a bottle of orange juice. “Mimosa?” She offers, and he thinks for a moment.  _ Oh, what the hell. _

“Sure.” He accepts. She pops the cork with a smooth, practiced motion, and fixes them both a glass. 

“I feel like a little hair of the dog is in order. You can’t be feeling peachy, yourself.” She hands him a glass. 

“Now that you mention it…” He groans. “I’m going to need toast and dippy eggs to cure this.” He takes the glass and she clinks hers to his. 

“To...us!” She cringes inwardly, but is rewarded by his smile as he toasts her, echoing her sentiment 

She downs the glass, and he just sips at his. She sets the bottle aside before rooting in her fridge again. She pulls out an absolutely gorgeous quiche. “Bobby, could you be a dear and open the oven door for me?” 

“Of course. You made that?” 

“Oh, yeah. I get shouted down if I don’t make my ‘world famous’ quiche.” She laughs softly, turning the knob on her oven. “It’s one of my specialties.” She looks over her shoulder, thinking for a moment. “Echo, play my top songs.” 

Bobby perks a brow. “You can do that?” 

“Yes, Bobby, you can change her name.” Alexa snorts, as Perm by Bruno Mars starts playing. 

“I knew you were a Bruno Mars type!” He grins jubilantly as she rolls her eyes. 

She can’t help herself but to dance as she continues preparing for brunch, and he finds he’s captivated with the way her body moves. The way her hips and shoulders roll, the way her hair bounces joyously, like some kind of wild halo. He’s mesmerized, spellbound, and he almost burns the food he’s cooking because he can’t look away. 

She checks the time and pulls a bag of ice from her freezer, filling the ice buckets and carefully placing a fresh bottle of champagne in each one. She’s fixed up a jug of orange juice, and a few jars of various fruit syrups to go with their mimosas. 

“You really go all out for brunch.” Bobby marvels, and Alexa blushes. 

“It’s the best meal of the day.” 

“I agree wholeheartedly.” He’s beaming, and she realizes that his dimple is driving her crazy. Or, maybe it’s everything about him. All she knows is that every time she makes him laugh or smile, her heart races and she feels weak.  _ Who is he and how does he do this to me?  _

“Do you mind if I grab a fast shower?” She asks. “I feel like you’ve well exceeded my expectations and I feel completely gross.” 

“Go for it, I’ve got this handled.” He smiles, and she feels drawn to him, as though they both have magnets in their cores. She gives in and throws her arms around his neck. He leans in, as if for a kiss, but she freezes. 

“I’ve got morning breath!” She protests, and he laughs, cupping her face in one hand. 

“I don’t care.” He replies, and there’s something so genuine in those golden eyes she can’t resist. She closes the gap and kisses him. And behind her closed eyelids, there’s fireworks, her heart thumps almost painfully in her chest, and her skin is absolutely covered in goosebumps. When she finally pulled away to look at him, his face tells her he feels the same. 

She turns and bounds away, leaving him with his mouth hanging open. But, just before she can get away, Hold The Line begins playing over her echo, and she stopped in her tracks, turning slowly to him. The shit eating grin he’s wearing causes her to pick up a throw pillow off her couch to throw at him. 

“I see how it is, Alexa!” He calls after her, and she sticks her tongue out at him. 

The shower feels good, and as much as she wishes she could spend the rest of the morning in there, she knows soon, the girls will arrive.

And who knows what Bobby’s gotten up to while she’s been in there? Suddenly, it dawned on her that she was letting a near complete stranger help her cook brunch. She’d never done anything like this, but she couldn’t deny that there was something about him. 

She groaned softly to herself before getting out of the shower so she could get dressed and sort out her hair. 

Once she was satisfied (and wearing very minimal makeup), she made her way back to the kitchen. As she did, Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You played over the speaker. Bobby locked eyes with her, and he looked completely spellbound again. The song, her halo of curly blonde hair, the way she seemed to be walking toward him in slow motion. His heart stopped, and it took almost all of his willpower to keep himself from falling immediately to her feet and begging her to marry him. 

What was it about her that made him want her in his life as much as possible? He didn’t even know her, and yet, he couldn’t remember his life before her. There was no way she felt the same, he thought. 

“Bobby? You alright?” She asked, breaking him from his reverie. He blinked several times before nodding slowly. 

“I’m perfect.” He smiled, and she rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, too. He turned back to the food he’d fixed himself, and offered her some. 

“Oh, no, I’ve got to wait till they get he--” Just then, there was a knock at the door. “Oh, shit.” She scurried off to answer it, and Bobby looked utterly panicked. 

Priya pushed her way into Alexa’s home. “So, where is he?” She demanded, and Alexa laughed nervously. 

“Who?” 

“Don’t play dumb.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and pushed her way into the kitchen. “Oh!” She exclaimed gleefully. Alexa sighed softly to herself, shaking her head. 

“Echo, play Priya’s brunch mix,” Alexa said before following Priya into the kitchen. Already, Priya was perched at her breakfast table across from Bobby, giving him the third degree. Alexa gave Bobby a sympathetic smile, and he just winked. 

Priya glanced at her friend before turning back to Bobby. “So, what are your intentions with my dear, sweet Alexa?” She asked, before helping herself to a bit of sausage from Bobby’s plate. 

“Priya!” Alexa exclaimed. 

“What? I think it’s a fair question!” 

“Why are you stealing his food? We’ll be eating so--” Alexa gets interrupted by the door again. “Oh my god. Be  _ nice _ , Priya!” Alexa rushed off to answer the door. Lottie and Hannah rushed inside. 

“So we heard--” Lottie started, and laughed when she was cut off by Alexa’s loud groan. 

“She sent out a group text, didn’t she?” 

“Complete with pictures.” Lottie showed her a picture of Bobby and Priya, definitely taken while Alexa hung back to sort out the music. 

When they got to the kitchen, Bobby’s plate of food was forgotten as he and Priya faced off. Money by Cardi B was playing in the background, and they were shouting the lyrics at each other. The three girls stopped dead, mouths all open as they watched. 

They were both extremely good at this, Alexa thought, and she found herself impressed by Bobby yet again, but also extremely intimidated, now. She shrunk back against the wall, picking her jaw off the floor and trying not to look shocked. 

Priya and Bobby eventually came back to the room, and while he looked sheepish, Priya was beaming as she strode over to Alexa, throwing an arm around her. 

“This one is a keeper, hun.” She whispered, and Alexa blushed furiously. 

“So are you saying he’s welcome to stay for brunch?” She perked a brow, and Priya nodded. “Well, Chelsea should be here any--” the door interrupted her one more time. 

“I’ll get that!” Hannah offered, and before anyone else could make a move, she was already gone. 

“Well, ladies, you know the drill!” Alexa beamed, and as Hannah and Chelsea joined them and they all went to build their plates, she moved to Bobby’s side. 

“You don’t have to stay if this is too weird.” She told him, and he laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Actually...I don’t mind. Unless you want me to leave.” He shrugged, but by the look on her face, he could tell she wanted him to stay. 

“It’d be nice if you stayed. I just…” She pulled him into the hallway so they could speak without interruption. “Look, it’s been ages since I’ve...well, let any men come around. Like. I mean.” She slaps her forehead lightly, shaking her head. “Oh, what am I like.” He grabs her hands in his, and as his thumb runs the back of her hand, she feels safe. 

“Take it easy, I’m not judging you.” 

“Well, it’s just that...they’re going to make a big deal of any man who lasts more than a night. I don’t...I don’t want you to get scared away already.” She’s blushing so hard that her face feels as if it’s on fire. 

“Alexa, are you coming or what?” Lottie calls, and she laughs softly. 

“Yeah, just a second!” She looks back to Bobby. “I don’t know why I’m even saying all this, I literally met you last night.” 

“Hey,” he starts, cupping her cheek in his hand. “You don’t have to worry about me. I like you.” She finally notices that he’s blushing, too, and she leans forward. 

“Is that so?” She looks up at him from beneath her eyelashes. 

“Very much so.” He closes the gap, and she can’t help but to deepen the kiss. Everything melts away until suddenly, Chelsea is standing in the hallway yelling “ALEXA’S SNOGGING BOBBY!” 

Alexa can’t help it that she’s laughing along with the rest of her friends, and she pulls Bobby to the kitchen so she can fix her plate. “Come on, I’m starving.” 

“Me too.” He lets her drag him along, and she fixes a plate of quiche for him.

“Since you didn’t get yourself one, you have to try it.” She tells him, and he opens his mouth, but she interrupts him. “I’m blocking your number if you tell me you could make it better.” She teases, and he pouts. 

“I would never!” He follows her to the table, settling into a seat next to her.

“So nice of you to join us, Lex.” Lottie teases with a sly grin. 

“I’m being a wretched hostess today, I’m so sorry.” She looks around and notices they’ve already fixed their own mimosas, so she gets her own. 

“We need to do a toast!” Hannah exclaims. “But to what?” She glances to Priya. 

“I know!” Priya raises her glass. “To Alexa finally breaking her dry spell!” 

“Priya!” Alexa’s face is bright red as she shakes her head. “We didn’t!” 

Bobby’s blush puts hers to shame, and she cradles her forehead in her palm for a moment, laughing softly to herself despite the embarrassment. When she looks back up, Priya’s still smiling brightly. 

“Then we’ll toast to you finally meeting someone you like enough to bring home. That is huge, babes!” She lifts her glass again, and Alexa rolls her eyes as she clinks glasses with all of her friends. 

“I suppose that’s reasonable.” She glances at Bobby, whose face is still beet red. “But you’ll scare him off, and then it’ll be decades before I meet another one!” She jokes, but she’s squeezing Bobby’s hand under the table and thinking about how odd it is that it feels like she’s known him her entire life. 

“Alexa, this quiche is amazing. Best I’ve ever had.” He tells her, and she fans herself. 

“Oh, don’t do that, you’ll just over inflate her ego!” Lottie teases. 

“It  _ is _ the best quiche in...at least the UK!” Chelsea grins. 

“I’ve never had one better.” Hannah shrugs. 

“That’s why we beg her to make it every time she hosts.” Priya tells Bobby. “She has a gift.” 

“I’d say so.” He gives her a quiet grin, and she finds she’s blushing for the nth time. In the background, she hears “Hold The Line” start playing. 

“What! Priya, did you update your brunch playlist?” Alexa demands, and she just laughs. 

“Someone might have talked me into adding a certain song.” 

“Oh my god!” Alexa rolls her eyes at Bobby, who just beams at her. “Well, if you’re that committed to that old joke, then I guess that’s a good sign.” 

They spend the rest of the brunch catching up and drinking mimosas. Once everyone has finished up, Bobby looks around before resting his gaze on Alexa. “It’s probably time for me to go.” He looks a little sheepish, and Alexa shakes her head. 

“No! It’s customary for us to nap after brunch!” She grasps his arm lightly. “And I watched how many mimosas you drank. You’re not driving yet!” The other girls had already dispersed to various places in Alexa’s flat. Hannah and Lottie sprawled out on a daybed while Priya and Chelsea sprawled out on a loveseat and a couch. “We’ll see you on the other side! Have a good nap!” Alexa wished, before dragging Bobby into her bedroom. 

“This isn’t too weird, is it?” She asked, frowning slightly. “You don’t have to nap with me if you don’t want to.” 

He answers her by crawling under her covers with her. “It sounds like a perfect first date.” He admits, and she cuddles up to him, nestling her head close under his chin. 

“Are you sure this isn’t moving too fast?” She asks, her voice muffled in his chest.

“Almost all of my relationships have moved too fast, in everyone else’s eyes.” He sighs. 

“Well, after this, I’m slamming on the brakes, then.” She shifts so she can sneak a peek at him, and she realizes he’s blushing. “Is something the matter?” 

“No, it’s just…” He bites his lip, frowning in thought. “I’m not going to get all heavy on you, but that actually means a lot to me.” 

“It’s more for my benefit than yours.” Her voice is light and breezy. “I just want to get to know you first. I, er, I have that same issue.” She knows she’s blushing, now, because her face is burning. She hides it in his chest, and he throws a protective arm over her. 

“Alright,” He says, and when she turns to catch his gaze, she realizes he’s already dozed off. She lies awake for a few more minutes, soothed by the sound of his light breathing. A step back would be good, she thought. She needed to make sure she actually liked him, even if this rush of emotions was telling her to run with it. 

Alexa couldn’t help but think about just how perfectly she seemed to fit in his arms. Just how comfortable she felt. And how easy it was to just drift right into sleep. 

  
  



End file.
